Chiefs safety Justin Reid invites high schoolers to tackle tech with him this summer
Photo courtesy of J Reid Indeed
Chiefs safety Justin Reid and his nonprofit, the J Reid Indeed Foundation, are hosting their first computer science camp from July 10 to July 28.
The three-week coding camp for high schoolers, dubbed the Tackling Tech Computer Science Camp, is a part of Reid’s Fully Charged initiative aimed at impacting the lives of youth through engagement in technology, nutrition, and athletics.
Classes will be held five days a week for three hours and focus on coding projects using languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript applications. Students will also be able to connect with mentors and participate in optional fitness activities led by Reid.
Alanna Murray, Executive Director for J Reid Indeed, says Justin Reid and his foundation believe knowledge in technology and computer science is important in setting kids up for success in their careers and lives.
“We are definitely in a technology-driven society,” Murray says. “These days everything has a tech component to it.”
The camp will be held at UMKC, allowing high school students to experience a college campus and potentially prepare them to pursue a STEM field in college. Reid says he is excited to provide this opportunity, as he was not introduced to coding until he got to Stanford University to study computer science.
“Our founder, Justin Reed, has always been passionate about computer science, technology, and coding. So it was just natural for the foundation to incorporate that in this camp,” Murray says.
During the camp, students will also have the opportunity to go on a campus tour and be matched with a counselor to talk about scholarships and degrees.
Students ages 13–18 who are enrolled in high school for the upcoming academic year are encouraged to register here. In partnership with Kansas City Public Schools, J Reid Indeed will sponsor 10 students to attend Tackling Tech. Just last month, Reid donated $15,000 to the Kansas City Public Schools robotics team to help with competition fees and daily costs.
